The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-18
A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH.
How Cardinal Manning Looks In His Library
The Purity of His English.

PRINCE OF THE CHURCH.
How Cardinal Manning Looks In His Library
The Purity of His English.
T. c. Crawford in the New York World.
l saw Cardinal Manning the other day at the
Archbishop's house. Westminster. Iwrote him
a note asking for thu pleasure of interview
ana received prompt reply by return of post.
The ArchbishoD's house is black stone building
between Victoria street, where the United
States legation 49, and the river The exterior
of the building does not suggest the character of
the place, and looks like great gloomy, whole
sale store house. Inside its black, forbid
cleanliness, beautifully arranged rooms, and
the atmosphere representative of quiet which
belongs to every we'll managed public building.
The messenger at the door showed me into
large anteroo below, and then a moment after
L was taken upstairs to the ante-room-
adjoining the Cardinals private reception cham
Der. This room Is very long, wide, with very
high ceilings The windows broad and
high as to leave very little of the outside wall
The ceilings white, the walls neutral in
tint. while the floor is dark and polished, covered
with rugs. Around the hang numerous
pictures of the saints and of various biblical
subjects. There are also in the room a number
of bookcases filled with books Scattered
round the room are number of handsome old
fashioned chairs. some in plain mahogany and
leather, others in French gilt and red tapestry.
In the center is a round table covered with dark
red cloth, upon which lie books written upon the
subjects of art religion aad church architecture.
In the center is beautiful bronze figure of the
Virgin Mary cast from the metal of the bronze
cannon captured during the Crimean war. The
dignifed, solemn servant left me in this room
and within five minutes the black doors of the
private room on the left opened and there
tered not his servant, but the Cardinal himself
He invited me to walk into his private library
The Cardinal is very tall He is six feet
in height He is very slender. Advancing age
has rounded slightly his shoulders He wore
the long black cassock of the priest. It was
trimmed with red. The buttons down the front
were also red. AS he walked crimson stockings
showed above his low cut shoes from under his
black flowing skirt. Walking with long stride
to the hard leather his h- backed chair the
table the Cardinal motioned me to chair near
him and then turned. AS he sat there he pre-
sented a most interesting and picturesque APP
pearance. The pose, dress and character of this
distinguished prelate of the Roman Catholic
Church would have made a picture painted as he
satin the soft light of the window. His dark
red cardir ais cap brought forward and
slightly over one ear, giving him a rather dash
ing appearance His arstocratic features and
long white hands indicated man OF the highest
intellectual and aristrocratc type. His face
is particularly gentle and kindly in its
expression His forehead is broad and high
His eyes are dark gray, we'll sunken under pro-
jecting eyebrows. His nose is fierce. aristo-
cratic Roman His face is quite angular and is,
high, with large depression in the hollow of
the chin His mouth is n-lipped and straight.
His chin is pointed projecting and most posi-
tive in its lines. His neck is long and half hid
den by pink linen collar standing squarely
around his neck and circled by black tie, over
which twisted long gold chain. He twisted
bowed Eyeglasses
he talked about the policy of the church. its re-
lation to the labor question, and all of the other
subjects which l have already furnished In
report by cable. He spoke with the greatest de-
liberation, enunciating with the greatest dis
tinctness every word. His voice was
at no time raised above the ordi-
talk of a man of the world of the highest class.
There gentleness and simplicity of bearing
in his manner which were most prepossessing
When the conversation was finished he extended
to his hand, and said at any time If the New
York World desired any information from him
concerning the church or Its policy. SO far as it
was known to him, he would be glad at all times
to furnish such information. He was vepy much
interested in the United States, and in the
problems which are yet to be solved there. He
believes fully in the daylight of public discus
sion, and is in sympathy with the public men
who pursue their ends through secret and devi-
Gus ways. He argues that what is kept hidden
is not good, and that. therefore, however good
objects sought to be accomplished by secret
society may be they are more than counter
balanced by the evil of the system OF secrecy.
The private library is beautiful room, and |
about half as large as the ante room. 1t is
lined with old books from the ceiling to the
floor Some of these books priceless in
value. 1t is wonderful library of reference
and of historical association. There is SIM
pic1ty and dignity about the surroundings of the
Cardinal more impressive than the more formal
systems of ceremony to be found in any of the
houses of royalty in England.
The Cardinal looks more like a statesman
than a priest He had appearance of force
and of power of most uncommon kind He
looked like a leader of men. There some
thing of the military air in his resolute, quick
decisive way of dsposing of matters presented
to him. The man who reaches high position
in the compact military organization of
the Catholic Church must of necessity be
man of ability and character. There is
certainly such denitary in the Protestant
Church of England who can for moment. in |
point of ability and force of character be COM
pared with this distinguished Prince Of the Cath
Ole Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury is |
an amiable gentle old man, who takes life as
easily as possible and who never concerns him.
self with anything outside of the narrow tech i
meal duties of his Office. Cardinal Manning, L |
should say. from his style and manner. combines |
Another thing that | noticed about him was that |
he spoke the English language without any |
marked English" accent-he spoke as does Mr.. |
Gladstone and the highest types of English pub |
lie men. The so-caled English accent, which IS |
occasionally initiated by some of our Anglo |
maniacs, is nothing but cockneyism refined and |
subdued, perhaps. but still cockneylsm at |
the bottom. The cockneys and the uneducated |
classes the excessively broad A and ex3gger- |
ated forms of dialect which influence to GER |
tain degree the better educated classes VINO are |
obliged 20 come in contact with them. The |
servant classes a large extent responsible |
for the peculiarities of speech of the educated |
English people who have never been able to |
overcome the influence of the servants in their |
associations with them at tender age The |
mass of the people In England are uneducated. |
The result is great impurity of speech by the |
majority, and that ma ority g imperfections must
have its influence upon the higher class minor
lty / do not think that it can be successfully
disputed that the English language is soken
with greater purity by the masses in the United
States than here. and that the average of our
educated people SPEAK with much GREATER purity
and with much better accent than do the edu-
Gated people of this most self satisfied and self
reliant of nations.
MARK TWAIN takes the summer dress ques-